Hurricane Harvey

UNITED STATES - “Be careful when you go into the house. This end of the house has shifted from the foundation block.” With this warning in mind, we gingerly entered what used to be the kitchen where Tabitha cooked...

Thirty thousand homes were damaged or destroyed in the storm, and fifty thousand cars were flooded or totaled. The rain that fell set an all-time record for total rainfall recorded from a tropical storm in the US.
On January 13, 2018, we joined a 25-member World Renew needs assessment team that arrived in Brazoria County, Texas, to survey residents about their unmet needs after the storm. The volunteers were ready to get started on the first day of work, but a rare ice storm in Texas delayed our process for two days!

Many times, people have no choice but to live in unsafe conditions. World Renew DRS is able to find and help people who have respiratory and other health issues because they are living in damaged, waterlogged homes and can’t afford to move.
Although many families who have the resources are repairing their damaged homes, trustworthy electricians, plumbers, and carpenters are hard to find, and scams are common after a disaster.

When a group of young people gets behind a project, amazing things can happen. On September 7, 2017, students at Timothy Christian School in Chicago hosted an Epic Burger Battle to raise funds for Hurricane Harvey response in Texas through World Renew’s Disaster Response Services (DRS).

Can you believe it’s already been three months since people in the southern US and Puerto Rico were pounded by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria? Time marches on, but the urgency to help hasn’t subsided. Thousands of people are still displaced from their hurricane-damaged homes.

This year’s hurricane season has been historically catastrophic. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria were the first, fourth, and fifth costliest storms on record and affected millions, leaving thousands upon hundreds of thousands displaced or homeless. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the need. Where to start?

Kevin is normally a calm unruffled man, but he spent a terrifying night riding out Hurricane Harvey in his boat in his garage. He heard a banging on the garage throughout the night. In the morning, he realized it was his truck floating in his yard, knocking against the garage. Almost everything in his house and garage was ruined by water.

September is not yet over, and we at World Renew have drawn at least seven emergency situations to your attention. You have responded incredibly generously and with great faith - in God, and in us - despite possibly being overwhelmed. Thank you!